A number of newspapers around the country have dropped Ann Coulter’s syndicated column following her now-notorious homophobic zinger at a conference of conservatives last week. In addition to the three papers Editor & Publisher tallied Thursday, Media Matters on Friday named two more dailies that have had it with Coulter’s antics.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Thursday predicted a future with more female politicians in her country, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded more opportunities for European women across all professions. Elsewhere in the world, nations celebrated International Women’s Day each in their own way.

Demons, out! All traces of President Bush’s upcoming visit to the sacred Guatemalan site Iximché will be chased away with a ritual purification by Mayan priests—yet another sign of his less-than-enthusiastic reception in Latin America.

An internal Justice Department investigation has documented multiple abuses by the FBI in obtaining the private records of U.S. residents. Even with the broad powers of the Patriot Act in place, the bureau is still required to certify that the phone, e-mail and financial documents it seeks are at least related to investigations of terrorism or intelligence activities.

More than 6,000 Brazilians marched against George W. Bush in Sao Paulo on Thursday in a mostly peaceful demonstration. A small group incited police to fire tear gas and rubber bullets. Protesters in Colombia also clashed with police, and more demonstrations are expected as Bush tours the region.

Prospective presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has admitted to having an affair while cheerleading the assault on Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Hypocrisy is nothing new to Newt, who extolled family values after serving divorce papers on his wife while she lay dying of cancer. And people are worried about Hillary and Barack’s electability!

A new antiwar campaign takes its inspiration from the late, great Molly Ivins, one of Truthdig’s most popular writers. In the last column she wrote before dying, Molly had this plea: “Raise hell…. Hit the streets to protest Bush’s proposed surge…. We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, ‘STOP IT, NOW!’ ”

A huge border enforcement drill involving hundreds of agents chasing make-believe migrants on the Miami shoreline proved to be hugely successful for some 40 actual Cuban refugees Thursday. Two incoming boatloads squeaked by the “Operation Vigilant Sentry” squads, including one group of 21 that came ashore at a nudist beach.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Andrew S. Ross rounds up some first-hand accounts of last week’s White House luncheon, at which President Bush and a gaggle of conservative guests discussed the lessons of history, the Iraq war and the Almighty.

More American troops are being deployed to hot spots of insurgent activity near Baghdad, Gen. David Petraeus announced Thursday. Petraeus, just beginning his tenure as U.S. military commander in Iraq, called for future negotiations with anti-government groups as well as those in support of the new Iraqi regime.